Animal-trap.



7 iusually secured to rrED strATEs PATENT OFFICE.

Yeoman sturrn nunmsu'r, or o'nnrna, new YORK, Assrouon r0 enema COMMUNITY, LIMITED, or onnrna, NEW roan, A conroharron or NEW YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21. 1917.

Application filed February 6, 1917. Seria1No.'146,900.

To all whom it may concern." Be it known. that I, RoLLIN SMITH Hennnu'p, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements'in Animal-Traps, of which the following, taken in connection with the ac co'rnpanying'vdrawings, is a full, clear,and .ex'act descriptionp;

, This invention relates to certain improvements in animal traps, involving the use of a pair of jaws, an actuating spring therefor and suitable means for setting the jaws against the action of said spring.

In traps of this character, the springs are the base in such a manner as tocause an abrupt termination of the action at a single point-generally at the point of securement to the base \vith-"the result that the fulcrum is changed when the' traps spring is under tension, shortening i l the loop apart from the same, and thereby increasing the liability to breakagel The main ob'ect of my invention is to obviate this difliculty not only by making the spring and jaw-operating tongue of a single piece. of spring metal, but also by connecting these parts at their junctions one with the 'other through the medium of an open loop, the opposite portions of which are spaced apart at all points so that it may readily yield at all pointsthroughout the length of the particular point,-that is, the entire spring tongue, together with the loop and adjacent end of the base, are free to flexv at all points throughout their lengths.

Another object is tohinge the jaws at one end to the corresponding end. of the base and at the opposite end to the inner side of the outer side of the loop so as to preserve the resiliency of the '1 loop throughout its lengl' h and allow both satire innerand outer si spi-ington'gue issetand es of the loop to mote freely relatively to each other as the I released. Other objects and uses Plating to specific 'i 11 low in! description.

ll'l the drawingsp Figure l is a top plan of an animal trap loop instead of at any one parts of the trap will be broughtout in the this instance, of

embodying the features of my invention, the parts being shown as set.

Fig. 2 is a sideielevation, partly in sec-' tion, of thesamo trap, in which the parts are sprung or in their closed positions.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the detached blank forming the base and spring tongue.

As illustrated, this trap comprises a base- 1 and an overlying spring tongue -2 made of a single piece of spring metal integrally unite-d at one end through the medium of an open loop -3. which is rcturned upwardly from one end of the base toward the opposite end and then downwardly toward the main body of the base and deflected longitudinally over the main body of saidbase to form the main body of the jaw-operating tongue.

The end of the base 1- opposite the loop is provided with an upturned flange or car -ei having suitable apertures -5- for receiving the pintles 6- on one end of a pair of jaws -7-, the corresponding 8 for receiving the adjacent ends of the:

jaws and ear -4-.

The opposite ends of the jaws are providejd with'shnilar pintles -6- journaled in apertures 5 in the inner side of the loop 3- apart from the outer side of said loop so as 'to preserve the resiliency of '{ill portions of said loop throughout its length.

The integralconnections between the main bodies of the base -1' and spring tongue 2 constitute a compound or reverse curve, of which the loop 3 forms a, part, all of the curved portions of this connection being of sufficiently long radius to allow such portions to flex freely at all points throughout their lengths as the spring tongue is brought under tension, thus avoiding any abrupt termination of'vibrations at any part of the connection between the spring tongue and base which not only increases the resiliency of the spring, but also maintains such resiliency for a longer period of time and greatly increases the period of eificiency and life of the trap.

Any suitable means may be provided for setting the trap,

a platform 9' suitably said means. consisting, in

scribed,

hinged to a cross bar -10 on the central portion of the base and provided wlth a pivoted d'bent -11 for interlocking engagemcnt in,the usual manner with one of the jaws and a suitable shoulder -l2 on the heel of the platform so that when the trap is set, the free end of the spring tongue -2- will be depressed to the position shown b dotted lines in Fig. 2 below the plane 0 the pintles -6- out of contact with the jaws -9-, while on the other hand when the platform is tripped and the spring released, the latter will quickly and automatically assume the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 to close the jaws.

Another advantage in joining the spring tongue to the base through the medium of an open loop is that the loop may be used as a means of attachment for a swivel or other connection by which the trap may be attached to a fixed anchorage, the swivel being merely hooked or drawn through the loop -3- without in any way interfering with the free operation of the jaws or resilient action of all portions of the loop throughout its length.

What I claim is:

1. In an animal trap of the character described, a one-piece base and jaw-operating spring forming at their junction an open loop, in combination with jaws journaled at one end on the corresponding end of the base and at their opposite end on the inner side. of the loop apart from the outer side of said loop, and means for holding the spring in compressed condition,

In an animal trap of the character dcthe combination of a base and an overlying jaw-operating tongue, both made of spring metal and integrally united at one end which are in spaced relation to allow all portions thereof to yield under the action of the tongue, jaws hinged at one end to the corresponding end of the base and having their opposite ends hinged to the inner side of the loop apart from the outer side of said by an open loop, opposite portions of loop to allow relative spring movement of both inner and outer sides of the loop, and

means for holding the spring in a compressed condition.

A trap comprising a one-piece base and jaw-operating spring formed with an intermediate curved loop, and jaws, each having one of their ends journaled in one side of the loops.

4. An animal trap comprising a one-piece base and jaw-operating spring formed with an intermediate curved loop, and jaws having pintles upon their opposite ends, the pintles on one end journaled on the base, and the pintles on the other end 'journaled in one side of the loop only.

5. An animal trap comprising a base and spring integrally united at one end by 'a curved loop, a substantially vertically extending flange upon the end of the base, said loop having substantially vertically extending spaced portions, and jaws having pintles journaled in the base flange and the adjacent vertical port-ion only of the loop.

6. A trap comprising a base and spring integrally united by an arcuate open loop including a returnbent portion extending toward the base, and jaws having pintles journaled in the return-bent portion of the loop.

7. An animal trap comprising a substantially horizontal base, a. spring lying above the base, the spring and base connected by an open loop including a substantially vertical portion, jaws having pintles upon their opposite ends, the pintles on one end being journaled in the substantially vertical portiou ol the loop and the pintles on the other end journaled on the base, and means for holding the spring in compressed coinlition.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of January, 1917.

ROLLl-N SMITH IIURLBUT.

Witnesses EUGLXB l Krri-zxnaoon, llowum l. Dnxrsox. 

